Rise of the king-size as bedrooms become a social space

Sales of king-size beds have overtaken ordinary doubles for the first time as
middle-class couples increasingly see their beds as “social spaces” rather
than just places to sleep.

For the first time middle-class families see their beds as 'social spaces' rather than just places to sleepPhoto: ALAMY

By Victoria Lee

10:35PM GMT 31 Dec 2010

The 4ft 6in-wide double bed, once considered all that a married couple needed, is almost consigned to history – or at least to the spare room.

Figures from Tesco and John Lewis suggest that, for the first time, more 5ft-wide king-size beds are being sold than doubles in Britain. The figures reflect the fact that adults are now heavier and taller than before and that consumers are willing to pay the cost to recreate the comforts of a luxury hotel in their own home.

John Lewis said its most popular bed was the Esprit, a king-size bed which was introduced in 2008.

That year, the department store sold 15 per cent fewer king-size beds than doubles. In 2010, the proportion has shifted dramatically, with John Lewis now selling 34 per cent more king-size than double beds.

Tesco said sales of king-size beds and super-king-size beds, which are 6ft-wide, had increased by 45 per cent during the past year — a rate of increase that completely eclipsed the growth in double beds. Brian Lawrence, a member of the British Institute of Interior design, said: “Fifty years ago, people’s weight and height comfortably fitted a standard bed, whereas now they don’t.”

“Today, a bed is not just to sleep in; it’s more. People want more room in their beds because they have become a social space.

“Even though bedrooms are getting smaller, the bed is now the main fashion focal point of the room, rather than, say, the dresser, as it used to be.”

Interior designers also said that many clients wanted to recreate the opulence of hotel suites inside their own homes, and have beds big enough to accommodate all the family watching televisions or using laptop computers.

“This trend is on the rise as it allows people to recreate the luxury of sleeping in a large hotel bed within their own home,” said Katharine Pooley, an interior designer.

“As our lives get increasingly busy, the need for escapism and total relaxation becomes more and more important.”

Tesco added that another reason frequently cited by customers looking to buy a larger bed was that families wanted a bed that was big enough to allow small children to climb into without waking the adults.

Over-sized beds are a return to the Tudor era, when royalty and the aristocracy would often receive visitors from their beds. The Great Bed of Ware, now in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, was manufactured in about 1590 and is 11-ft wide.